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Motorpoint: UK roads littered with danger

Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008 11:43
The Mercedes M-Class SUV comes with ESC as standard
Research carried out by Motorpoint, a leading car supermarket, has revealed British motorists face a daily battle against road debris.

Motorpoint's research demonstrated a surprising 89 per cent of drivers who responded to a survey have had to swerve to avoid material on the road, with remnants of tyres, cardboard boxes and plastic bags just some of the items most commonly seen.

Despite these results, drivers still show no real interest in purchasing vehicles with extra safety features. Two-thirds of motorists have no plans to get a car equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), an active safety system that detects the risk of a skid at an early stage, before the driver even.

ESC then uses the vehicle's brakes to bring it back into line. Research shows a car fitted with ESC is 25 per cent less likely to be involved in a fatal accident.

"The findings from the Motorpoint survey are very disappointing", said David Fulker, head of UK marketing for chassis systems control at Bosch, the inventors of the ESC technology.

"Studies show that stability control braking could reduce skidding accidents by up to 80% yet this research shows that motorists are still unaware of its life saving benefits. We welcome the promotion of ESC at the point of vehicle purchase."

David Shelton, managing director of Motorpoint added: "Our latest findings present a concerning situation as drivers already have enough distractions on the nation’s roads, which is not being helped by them turning into a rubbish tip, and causing added danger."

"As a supporter of RoadSafe, we recognise that the safety of our customers is paramount, and thereby all active-safety features are clearly listed on the windscreen of every vehicle, meaning that customers are immediately informed about such technology at the very first point of contact."

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